Safety railroad-spike.



No. 7|2,245. Patented Oct. 28, I902.

J. n; BETTS & c. J. WHITAKER.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN D. BETTS AND OERYL J. WHITAKER, OF PENDLETON, OREGON.

SAFETY RAILROAD-SPIKE.

SPECIFICATION forming'part of Letters Patent No. 712,245, dated October 28, 1902. Application filed February 18, 1902. Serial No. 94,630. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

-Be it known that we, JOHN D. BETTS and OERYL-J. WHITAKER, citizens of the United States, residing at Pendleton, in the county of Umatilla and State of Oregon, have invented new and useful Improvements in Safety Railroad-Spikes, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to a safety railroadspike; and the object of the same is to pro vide a simple and effective device of this class having bracing means to prevent rails from spreading,particu larly on curves,where maximum lateral pressure on the rails exists.

The invention consists in the construction and arrangement of the several parts which will be more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure l is a transverse section of a railroad-rail and a tie, showing the improved spike in side elevation applied in operative position thereto. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the spike. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the same.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

The numeral 1 designates the spike-shank, which may be of any length and proportionate to the general dimensions of the spike, it being understood that the improved spike may be made in different sizes. The shank 1 has a head 2, which is laterally projected, as at 3, similar to the ordinary spike-heads. The head 2 may be shaped as desired, and forming an integral part thereof isa brace 4, securely inclined downwardly from the head to its outer free end 5 and having an under straight edge 6 in a plane at right angles to the adjacent edge of the spike-shank 1. This spike-shankl is angular in cross-section and has a lower chisel-point 7. The brace etis elongated, and the upper incline or taper thereof toward the outer free end 5 permits the head 2 to receive the impact of the driving device or implement in setting the spike in a tie to secure a rail. If the spike at its upper portion was horizontally straight, the impact device or implement would be liable to strike a portion of the brace and cause the shank 1 to be deflected from a straight vertical driving course.

Opposite edges of the shank 1 are formed with catch-spurs 8, two of the latter being on one edge and one on the opposite edge, the single spur on the one edge being at a point intermediate of the planes of the opposite spurs. These spurs all taper from an upper square shoulder 9 downwardly to a point 10 to closely interlock in the fiber of the tie without forming too large openings, and thereby avoiding rotting of the tie. When the shank 1 is driven into the tie its full length, the fiber of the tie falls over and catches on the shoulders 9, and by this means the spike as an entirety is prevented from becoming loose and is obstructed against loose movement by the opposite disposition of the supports. It will be seen that when the shank 1 of the spike is driven into the tie the shoulders 9 will prevent or obstruct any tendency toward upward movement of the shank, and hence the head 2 willalways be held down in firm engagement with the flange of the rail. The under or lower edge of the brace 4 is also provided with a pair of spurs 11, which are Spaced apart from each other, the point 5 of the said brace continuing into the outer spur. These spurs 11 have outer straight faces 12 in planes at right angles to the edge 6 of the brace, and from said faces they converge in wardlyand upwardly to the said edge 6. When the spike is driven into the tie, the spurs 11 simultaneously enter said tie and penetrate equal depths when the under edge of the brace comes into close engagement with the upper side of the tie. The advantage of this particular arrangement of spurs in con-.

nection with the brace is that they will prevent the brace from sliding or moving outwardly during the driving operation by rea son of the equal penetration of said spurs 11,

and when the latter are embedded in the tie 2 the inner edge, the two outer spurs operating as a reinforce for each other against outward movement of the shank, which conjointly operating with the brace as constructed will cause the object sought to be practically effected.

The spurs 11 are of less transverse extent than the edge 6 of the brace 4, so as to permit opposite side portions of the brace to extend beyond the spurs and prevent water from directly entering into the portions of a tie penetrated by said spurs, and thereby obviate rotting of the wood. The outer or terminal spur 11 is formed by striking down the outer end of the brace and reducing said spur to the proper proportions.

The improved spike will be found exceptionally useful for the particular purpose for which it has been devised, and, as before indicated, changes in the dimensions and proportions may be made at will.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new is- As an improved article of manufacture, a railroad-spike comprising a shank with two spurs on one edge and a single spur on the opposite edge located at a point in alinement with the space between the said two spurs,

the spurs being of inverted semiconical form and having upper horizontally straight shoulders and a head having an elongated brace continued outwardly therefrom and having an upper downwardly-inclined surface and the outer end struck downwardly to form a terminal spur having a front face vertically straight and an inner upwardly-inclined face, the lower edge of the brace being straight and in a plane at right angles to the adjacent edge of the spikeshank and also having a spur at an intermediate point similar in form and equal in downward extent to the said terminal spur of the brace, both verticallystraight faces of the spurs depending from the head being arranged outwardly and the inclined faces of said spurs of the head arranged inwardly, whereby upward drawing of the shank and outward movement of the brace and head will be prevented.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN D. BETTS. CERYL J. WHITAKER.

Witnesses:

J. H. RALEY, H. E. COLLIER. 

